Enrique Iglesias

"I'm Latin and always will be but my music is not. Even when I sang only in Spanish, it was still pop." -Enrique Iglesias

His father Julio is the poster boy for Latin Don Juan crooning. And in case your home is a cave in Uzbekistan, Enrique has been kicking some serious pop chart tail since his English debut in 1999.

MAGNETISM

Which is the perfect segue to our next category. Unless you live on Pluto, you know that Enrique Iglesias is one of the most desired men on the planet. Why? Damned if we know, but we can take a guess. First of all, the Latin lineage. The women love it and it is so in right now.

Second of all, the music. Far from an aggressive brand of bump and grind R&B or Latin sound, Enrique is a sensitive soul. Sexual and horny, sure, but in as understated a way as possible. Women love his boy-next-door charm and the fact that he wants to be their "Hero." Our gag reflex kicks in when we hear that but hey, call us crazy.

SUCCESS

The man is a near-household name and he has sold a preposterous amount of albums in no time at all. So let him have his glory. Let him go triple platinum in Poland. Let him dominate the bastard children of award shows: Billboard, World Music and Latin Grammy.

Let his songs dominate the pop charts and be turned into cheesy dance club tunes, driving you to run up a tab at the bar. Let him have his Shannon Elizabeth, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Anna Kournikova. Well, on second thought, let us have them. The chick from the "Bailamos" video too Enrique. You heard us ese, hand her over.

Enrique Iglesias Biography

Enrique Iglesias was born in Madrid, Spain, on May 8, 1975. His parents, superstar singer Julio Iglesias and model Isabel Preysler, separated when Enrique was three. Five years later young Enrique moved to Miami to be with father Julio. While his childhood was blessed to the extent that his parents were successful, Enrique was not spoiled or fazed by his privileged position. He grew up as a normal, well-adjusted teen with common growing pains.

no longer just daddy's son

He attended business school at the University of Miami, but left after a year to follow in the family business: entertainment. His start came in 1995 in Spanish when he promoted himself as Enrique Martinez from Central America. Iglesias was intent not to be accused of nepotism and did the legwork required to hawk his demo tape around town.

His last name stuck however, and he moved to Toronto to record his first album, which was named Enrique Iglesias. It sold more than a million units in three months, which was a phenomenal achievement for a Spanish album. Before his first English release that sent his fame into the stratosphere in fact, Iglesias was a household name in the Latin world. His world tours filled stadium after stadium and his albums sold millions everywhere. The awards piled up and Enrique built a name for himself, separate from his father.

a worldwide superstar

In 1999, his song "Bailamos" became the most requested radio track in Los Angeles and New York, and was featured on the sountrack for Wild Wild West. The song later went to #1 on Billboard and Enrique was a superstar. His first English album, Enrique, went double platinum in the US and quadruple platinum worldwide.

His global appeal has been considerable, with record sales in Canada, India and Taiwan. His tours have taken him to the Middle East, Russia and Turkey. In order to serve his international fan base, Iglesias has recorded in four languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and English.

Next up for Iglesias is a venture into the world of Hollywood. Look for him to appear in Once Upon A Time In Mexico with Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Johnny Depp. The film is set for a 2003 release.